Indicator for firearms.



No- 891,488. PATBNTBD JUNE 231 J. J. PEARD.

INDICATOR FOR FIREARMS.

uruoulon rnmn Nov.14,19ov.

Invan UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. PEARD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO COLTS PATENT FIRE ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

INDICATOR FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. PEARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Indicator for Firearms, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to indicators for breech-loading firearms, the main object being to provide a ositive and reliable device for indicating w ether the chamber of the barrel is emplty and, therefore, requires to be charged wit a cartridge before the arm is in the condition to be fired, or whether a cartridge is contained in the chamber of the barrel, and the arm is prepared to be fired, requiring only the operation of the firingmechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chamber-indicator which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, and the indicating positions of which shall be readily distinguishable by .a touch, as well as at a glance, so as to constitute a reliable indicator of the condition of the chamber, in the dark as well as in the light.

These objects are attained by a device of very simple and practical construction, positive and reliable in use and not liable to get out of order.

On account of the great rapidity of the operations of the breech-mechanism in automatic smallarms, it being such that the eye cannot follow them, a reliable chamber-indicator is of especial advantage with and well adapted for use in this class of firearms. In the accompanying drawings I have, therefore, chosen to'illustrate tthe application of my invention to an automatic magazine-pistol; but the invention may also be applied, as I would have it understood, to other classes of breech-loading firearms.

In the accompanying drawings, representing an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a right-hand side elevation of the rear portion of Aa well-known automatic pistol, partly in longitudinal section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, showing the chamber of the barrel empty and the indicator in the lowered position. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, artly in a vertical transverse section throug the frame and the breech-slide at a oint some distance forward of the breecholt, with the barrel removed and the indicator in the lowered position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showinv a cartridge in the chamber of the barrel, an the indicator raised and projecting above the top of the breech-slide. Fig. 4 is a front View, partly in vertical transverse section, similar to Fig. 2, but with the indicator in the raised position.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the istol represented in `the drawings the barrelpb is sup orted upon`the frame a, and on top of the ame the breech-slide c is fitted to slide rearward and forward, the sides of the breech-slide overlapping the frame, interlocking longitudinal ribs and grooves on slide and frame holding the breech-slide to the frame and guiding it thereon. The real art of the breech-slide c forms the breecholt c1, adapted to close the chamber of the barrel, and the forward portion ofthe breechslide c extends 1n semi-tubular form and incloses the barrel.

On firing a shot the breech-slide and the then the barrel bebarrel recoil together, comes dise aged from the breech-slide anc the rearwar movement of the barrel is ar rested, while the breech-slide continues to re coil, thus opening the breech, after which th breech-slide is returned forward andinter locked with the barrel, thus closing th breech.

The frame and the breech-slide in rear o the barrel form the receiver and an opening i provided for the ejection of the cartridge shells, and any suitable irin extracting ani ejecting mechanisms of wellnown construe tion may be combined With the receiver am the breech-bolt. The frame has'the grip o handle a1 below the receiver, and the hamme Z and other parts of the firing-mechanism ar fitted in the frame in rear of the gri whil the trigger n is located in front of t e gri Cartridges may be supplied by one of t usual feeding-devices or magazines for hol( ing a number of cartridges and for presentin the cartridges in succession in front of th breech-bolt when the same is in the open rez position, so that by the forward closing mov ment of the breech-bolt the cartrid e is tran: ferred to the chamber of the barre All the parts thus far referred to are of tl same construction and mode of opera/tion as those of the well-known Colt automatic pistol, and forming no part of the present invention re uire no further description or illustration ierein, except so far as certain features will be referred to hereinafter. Moreover, as will be obvious, these parts may be replaced by other/,fp/afts of usual or suitable construction.

When a pistol is carried with the expectation that its/use will be required, for offense or defens/e, and that the occasion for its use may aise suddenly at very short notice, it is important, in order that the pistol be ready ,for instant use, to have it charged and placed in a condition in which it requires for effective use nothing but the grasping, aiming, and firing by pulling the trigger. An automatic pistol, such as that described and represented, requires, in order to be thus prepared, that it be supplied with a loaded magazine, and that a cartridge be inserted into the chamber of the barrel and the hammer be cocked; the arm is then ready for firing-a number of shots in rapid succession, re uiring only a pull of the trigger for each s ot. The first and most important requirement, therefore, in this class of firearms, as well as in hand-o erated ones, for makinor them ready for ing, is that a cartridge e contained in the chamber of the barrel; but with the breech-slide forward in firing position, in which it covers the barrel, while the breechbolt closes the breech of the barrel, it is not ossible to ascertain if the chamber of the arrel contains a cartridge or not, except by drawing the breech-slide to the rear far enough to permit the ins ection of the chamber. This, however, wou d require time and mental effort, which cannot be spared when the instant use of the arm is vital. l

To remove all uncertaint as to the charged or em ty condition o the chamber of the barrelft e indicator forming the subject of the present invention is provided. This indicator, in the form shown in the drawings, consists in the s ring-actuated lever d seated in a narrow ra `al groove e cut from the outside through the top of the breech-slide parallel to the axis, into the breech-bolt c1, at its forward end and at a suitable angle to the vertical plane through its axis, so as not to interfere with the extractor, firing-pin or other parts carried 'by the breech-bolt, Figs. 2 and 4. The depth of this groove is such that the bottom of the groove corres onds with and forms a continuation of t e lower edge of a small horizontal hole e1 bored through the face of the breech-bolt c1, so as to enter into the groove e and form a forward extension of the same, communicating, when the breech-bolt is in the forward closed osition, with the chamber of the barrel. the breech-bolt is located at some distance he hole c1 in the face of` radially from the center of the breech-bolt, and is of a diameter to be entirely onfthe inside of the wall of the barrel surrounding the chamber. The indicator d is loosely fitted in the groove e and has at its lower forward end a cylindricalprojection d1 which corresponds with the hole in the breech-bolt, and, when the indicator is seated in the groove, the projection d1 loosely Aextends through the hole and projects forward some distance beyond the face of the breech-bolt. A transverse inf, located a short distance in rear of the ace of the breech-bolt, secures the indicator d in its seat and serves as a pivot for the indicator on which the same may freely turn. Above the pin f the indicator is divided into two parts by a horizontal cut running from the front some distance rearward into it, and the portion above the cut extending forward to the same length as the projection d1, has been thinned so as to form an integral flat spring, the forward end of which rests upon the breech-bolt in a shallow forward extension of the groove c. The tension of this spring, exerted forward of the pivot-pinf, serves to yieldingly hold the indicator d down in its seat in the breechbolt, in which position the top of the indicator is in its whole length iush with the top surface of the breech-slide c, see Figs. 1 and 2. If, however, pressure is exerted from the front against the projection d1 of the indicator d, the spring yields and the indicator is turned upon the pivot-pin f as a fulcrum, so that the rear end of the indicator is raised out of its seat in the breech-bolt.

On account of the location of the pivot-pin so near the forward end of the indicator, and of the much greater length of the portion in rear of the pivot, a slight rearward movement of the projection d1 causes a much greater movement of the rear end of the indicator, by which the same is raised so as to project a considerable distance above the top of the breech-slide, see Figs. 3 and 4.

From the foregoing descri tion of the construction, the operation of t 1e indicator will be readily understood. If the breech-slide is moved forward when the chamber of the barrel is empty, the forward projection Il of the indicator d does not encounter any resistance, and the indicator is, by the tension of its spring, ke )t in its lowered position in the breech-slide, ush with the top of the same, and not perceptible from the rear or side of the istol. If, however, a cartridge is containef in the chamber of the barrel, when the breech-slide is moved forward, the

rojection d1 of the indicator will be brought. into contact with the base of the cartridge, and when the breech is closed, the cartridge will force the projection rearward into the breech-bolt, thereby the indicator will be turned on its pivot until the rear portion of the indicator projeetszabovelthe top of the breech-slide in a position and to a degree which make it readily perceptible at a glance as well as to the touch.

The location of the indicator is such that while the projection is certain to encounter t-he base of a cartridge in the chamber, it cannot contact with the primer of the same.

It will be understood that the use of the. indicator is not confined to the combined breech-slide and breech-bolt of an automatic pistol, andthat it may be applied to any other kind of breech-loading fire-arms having a breech-closing' means the closing movement of which is adapted to actua-te the indicator when a cartridge is present in the chamber of the barrel, Without departing from the. spirit of the invention.

' It will also be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the details without de.- parting from the spirit of the invention.

IVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a breech-loading rearm, the combination of a chamber to receive a cartridge for iiring, a breech-closing means, and an indicator yieldingly supported in the breechclosing means and having a part located radially within the cartridge-chamber and adapted for contact with the rear tace of a cartridge in the chamber, whereby the indicator is moved to indicate the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.

2. In a breech-loading irearm, the combination of `a chamber to receive a cartridge for iring, a breech-closing means, and an indicator yieldingly supported in the breechclosing means and having a projection 1ocated radially within the cartridge-chamber and ada ted for contact with the rear face of a cartri ge-head in the chamber out of line with the primer, whereby the indicator is moved to indicate the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.

3. In a breech-loading firearm, the combination of a chamber to receive a cartridge for'iiring, a breech-bolt, and an indicator yieldingly supported in the breech-bolt and having a part located radially Within said chamber and adapt-ed for contact with the rear face of a cartridge in the chamber, whereby the indicator is moved to indicate the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.

4. In a breecheloading firearm, the combination of a barrel having a chamber to receive a cartridge for firing, a breech-closing means, and an indicator yieldingly supper in the breech-closing means and havin;

art located radially inside of the cham 1n the barrel and adapted for contact w the rear face of a cartridge in the chamt whereby the indicator is moved to indie the presence of a cartridge in the chamber 5. In a breech-loading irearm, the corr nation of a barrel having a chamber to ceive a cartridge for firing, a breech-b1 and an indicator yieldingly supported in breech-bolt and having a part located dially inside of said chamber and adap for contact with the rear face of a cartrii in the chamber, whereby the indicator moved to indicate thevpresence of a cartri( in the chamber.

6. In a breech-loading irearm, the com nation of a frame, a barrel having a c .tridge-chamber, a breech-slide covering barrel, and an indicator yieldingly suppor in the breech-slide and having a part loca radially Within said chamber and adap' for contact With the rear face of a cartri( in the chamber, whereby the indicator moved to indicate the presence of a cartri( in the chamber.

7. In a breech-loading firearm, the com nation of a frame, a barrel having a c tridge-chamber, a breech-slide comprising breech-bolt and covering the barrel, and indicator yieldingly mounted in the bree bolt and having a projection extend` through an aperture in the face of the breei bolt for contact with a cartridge in the cha ber of the barrel, whereby the indicator moved to indicate the presence of a cartri( in the chamber.

S. In a breech-loading firearm, the com nation of a frame, a barrel having a c tridge-chamber, a breech-slide com rising breech-bolt and coverin the barre and indicator mounted in t e breech-bolt a having a projection extending through aperture in the face of the breech-bt contact with a cartridge in the chamber the barrel, whereby the indicator is moved indicate the resence of a cartridge in i chamber, anni) means for yieldingly hold: down the indicator Within the breech-bolt This specification signed and witness this 6th day of November, A. D. 1907.

JAMES J. PEARD In the presence of- A. L. ULRICH, K. POWERS. 

